The mission of Endocrine Wellness is to help children in our region achieve and maintain a healthy weight and to prevent, identify and treat weight related problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Fulfillment of this mission requires the involvement of a multidisciplinary team that includes physicians, nurses, nutritionists, exercise specialists, and behavioral specialists. Another mission is to advance research in childhood obesity and its comorbidities.
Services Provided
Endocrine Wellness provides a comprehensive evaluation to new patients that includes the following:
- Medical assessment of weight, body composition analysis, and clinical and laboratory evaluations to identify weight related diseases
- Nutrition assessment to identify current dietary habits and willingness, ability, and resources available to change current habits to promote weight loss
- Physical activity assessment to identify current level of physical activity and willingness, ability, and resources available to increase physical activity
- Psychosocial screening assessment to identify problems that may interfere with a child’s ability to participate in a lifestyle program designed to promote weight loss
Treatment of overweight children involves one or more of the following:
- Negotiation and implementation of a Healthy Lifestyles Goals Agreement. This is a contract between the Center and each child’s family that specifies behaviors that should be adopted within three to four months.
- Individual counseling with a wellness advisor for families struggling to reach the goals specified in the Healthy Lifestyles Goals Agreement or in need of additional help in general
- Medications for a small number of children for weight loss or treatment of weight-related problems
- Assessment and referral for bariatric surgery for a very small number of older adolescents and young adults who have major comorbidities and who have been unsuccessful with other types of treatment
- Regular follow-up, every three to six months in the Center to reinforce the Healthy Lifestyles Goals Agreement, monitor progress, and provide counseling and other help as needed
